The Missing Beat
by lit-fan-001
Summary: Jess' heart skipped a beat.Sequel to Worth It. Read Worth It first. LITERATI!


**Okay, so I know I should be updating _Resemblances, _but this was bouncing around in my head. It's the sequel to my first ever GG fanfiction. I just couldn't help but feel that it needed something. I had everything all planned out. I had even written over half of it. But then a new idea struck me, I threw my old sequel out and replaced it with this one. I hope it's not crap. _Resemblances _should be updated within the week. You should probably read _Worth It_ before you read this. You might not understand a lot of it. This will have a sequel, it just might take a while to type it up. **

_The Missing Beat_

Sequel to _Worth It_

Rory was bouncing around in her seat, fully rejuvenated from the recent coffee boost. "Where are we going?" she asked eagerly.

"I already told you," said Jess, letting himself smile, happy that a part of the old Rory had returned.

"What if I forgot?" Her question was playful, as was her demeanor.

"Well," Jess said, picking up her cheerful mood, "then I say you'll know when we get there."

"Fine," Rory pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. She was trying to hold back a smile, but she ultimately did not succeed. Her face broke into a grin. "I still can't believe you're taking me back to your apartment."

He let out a sigh. "God, here we go again."

"Planning on taking advantage of me?"

"Not anytime soon." _Not that I don't want to_.

"You're squirming," she said poking his arm. "You **know** how I love it when you squirm."

"Aw, geeze."

There was a pause in the conversation. Rory looked out of the window, staring at the Philadelphia landscape whizzing past. "When do we get there?"

He looked at her, glanced at his watch and answered, "Ten minutes or so."

"Okay." She waited until Jess was once again focused on the road. She began taking him in, trying to memorize every feature, every mark.

"So," Jess was trying to start up the conversation. Not that he wasn't comfortable with Rory staring at him. Hell, in all reality he actually liked it.

Rory took the initiative, breaking out of the trance she was in. "What else don't I know about you?"

"Well," he started, "after Jimmy kicked me out, I moved back New York. I ended up working as a messenger and living in a matchbox with six or seven guys. I really don't remember. And then there came-"

Rory finished for him, almost inaudibly, "Your mom's wedding."

"Yeah," Jess whispered, again focusing on the road.

"Sorry for that, by the way." Her sheepish response made her inwardly cringe. "Wow. That sounded lame."

"No, it didn't." He forced his glance back to her. "And anyway, I'm the one who should be," he paused, "apologizing."

"Kill you to say that?" She smiled at him.

He smirked. "Only a little."

He looked back to the road, and she looked back out the window. There was another moment of silence before the thing nagging Rory at the back of her mind broke through.

"Can I tell you something?"

Not sure what to expect, Jess said, "Sure."

Rory dared a glance into Jess' brown eyes. "You don't know how much is killed me to say no to you."

He forced a smirk that came out more like a grimace. "Probably as much as it killed me to hear it."

"Don't interrupt." She said, somewhat harshly. Seeing his face drop, she softened. "I really wanted to go with you but-"

"But I couldn't ask you to give up Yale." He took a deep breath, "I _shouldn't_ have asked you to give up Yale."

"NO!" she yelled, getting frustrated, "It wasn't about Yale!"

"Then why did you say no?" His question set her off, and the one thing she had wanted to tell him for the past two years spilled out.

"I _wanted_ to go with you. But the ration part of me, the bigger part of me, couldn't be sure that you would still be there when I made it to the parking lot."

She knew this comment had hurt him, but he needed to hear it; the same way she had needed to hear everything that he had said to her outside of the pub that night. How long had it been since then? Five hours? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

After about thirty seconds, Jess risked saying something, "I would have been. There, I mean. I was ready. I meant what I said."

Rory reached for his hand resting on the gear shift. "I know you did. And I know you would have been there. I didn't then, but I do now." She locked her eyes on his.

Jess coughed, clearing his throat. "Anyway, after the wedding, I started taking night classes. I got my GED-"

She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "You got your GED?" The car swerved violently, but Jess somehow managed to get it back under control. "I'm so proud of you!"

He looked at her, enjoying the feeling of her arms linked around his neck but remembering where they were, "Yeah, and I appreciate that. But I'm driving a car here. You know? The very dangerous, slightly unsafe vehicle you are currently riding in?"

She blushed slightly. "Oh, right," she said, glancing down at her feet. She then unlatched her arms.

IN APARTMENT

Rory entered the bookstore/publishing house/place where artists displayed their work. She climbed the stairs and looked around the large space that seemed to serve as living room, kitchen, and dining room. There was a hallway leading off with four doors. "Nice."

"It's nothing big; just a roof over our heads." Jess said, following her up.

"Don't be so modest," Rory teased, going up behind him and wrapping her arms around his middle. "You've got something good here."

He turned around and trailed kisses from her forehead to her lips. "I missed that," she whispered against his lips. He smirked and broke away from the embrace.

Opening a narrow door, he pulled out a small stack of white sheets. "Here, I'll take the couch. My room's through there." He pointed towards the door at the very end of the hallway.

"Jess, I can't take your bed." She tried to take the sheets from him. "I'll sleep on the couch."

He took the sheets back from her. "No you won't." Smirking, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the hallway. He gently pushed her into the bedroom. Opening a drawer, he pulled out two items. "Here's a t-shirt and some boxers. You cannot seriously be comfortable in that get up." Jess went back into the "kitdinliving area" to finish making up the couch.

Rory pulled off her uncomfortable clothing and pulled on the old Metallica t-shirt and plaid boxers he had given her. She then took time to look at his room. She noticed that she could see no walls; it was almost as if the room was formed with book shelves. Sliding out a few volumes, she learned that Jess had written in was seemed to be every single book he owned. She crossed the room to the writing desk, brilliant in all of it's wonderful chaos. Papers were strewn across its surface; his laptop sitting in the center. Pens and pencils were scattered around the laptop, and there was a small pile of crumpled up papers to the side of the desk, next to an overflowing trash bin. She glanced at a piece of paper on the top of the desk. All she read was the first two words (_Dear Rory,_) before she hastily folded it up and put it in her jacket pocket.

Sitting almost unnoticed on the corner of the desk were a few small framed photos. Rory fingered one before picking it up. It was of Jess and a baby she could only assume was Doula, Jess' baby sister. He was holding her and appeared almost un-_Jess _like. The next one she looked at was of Jess and Luke. Luke had his hand on Jess' shoulder, and they looked… happy. Rory had never seen Jess happy to be with Luke; for that matter, she didn't think she had ever seen Luke happy to be with Jess. Next there was one of Lorelai and Luke. Funny, Rory thought, _why does he have a picture of a woman he hates?_ Last but not least, she picked up the smallest photo of all. It was one of her and Jess. She didn't remember taking this picture, and by the way they were posed, neither she nor Jess new this picture was being taken. They were walking down the street in Stars Hollow, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, her head buried in the crook of his neck.

Rory took this picture and sat down on the bed. She traced an outline with her finger around the two of them. They looked so happy. This picture couldn't have been taken that long before Kyle's party. In fact, judging by their clothing, it was taken the day _of_ Kyle's party. Neither of these young people knew that in just a couple of hours, they're relationship would come to a screeching halt. How long ago was this? Four years? It felt like forever.

A call from the living room jolted Rory from her thoughts. "Good night!"

"Good night, Jess." She tried to fall asleep, curling up under his light blue sheets and navy comforter, but something wouldn't let her. Something was missing.

She left the warmth of the bed, the cool of the wood floor on her bare feet momentarily shocking her. Regaining her composure, she tip-toed out to the great room. Putting her hand on Jess' shoulder, she gently shook him awake. "Jess, wake up."

"What is it?" He sat up so quickly, she didn't have time to move away. Their head came together, and Rory stumbled to the floor. "Oh God!" Jess scrambled off the couch and onto the floor, helping Rory up.

"Ror! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I am." She giggled a little, embarrassed at her actions. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay." Jess was rubbing a spot on his head that was quickly becoming discolored. Rory tenderly felt her forehead and noted that she had a spot as well. "What did you need?"

"Well, um," she stuttered, feeling more than uncomfortable, "would you mind, um, sleeping with me tonight?"

Jess looked into her eyes. "You sure?"

Feeling a bit more confident, Rory allowed herself a small smile. "Yeah."

They made their way to his bedroom, and entered the bed from opposite sides. Once in bed, Jess kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good night."

"Wow, de ja vu!"

Laughing silently, he smirked. "Go to sleep."

Jess watched her as she snuggled closer to him. Soon, he began to relax. As her breathing slowed, he realized that she was going into REM. He closed his eyes, and started to drift away, but tensed up at the sound of Rory's voice.

"Jess."

He laughed to himself, remembering that she once told him she talked in her sleep. He wrapped his arms even more tightly around her and again started to relax.

"Jess…" His smile grew even wider, happy that she was dreaming about him. "I love you."

Jess's heart skipped a beat.

**A/N I don't know if this'll be a chapter story or if I'll give it a sequel in oneshot form. But I do know that I'm continiuing it. I mean, I can't end it like that and _not_ continue it. I know it's a bit choppy. I don't even understand it sometimes... and I _wrote_ it. Tell me what you think. Give me feedback. That kind of thing. Let me know if you're interested in a sequel/chapter fic. **

**I will try to undate _Resemblances_ by Saturday. Anyway, enough of my hopeless ramblings. I hope you liked it! And remember: ReveiwsLove.**


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